One of my favorite poems in praise of the Prophet is this gem from the Sudanese Sufi Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Qamar al-dīn al-Majdhūb (d. 1831) a friend and student of Aḥmad ibn Idrīs (d. 1837).
Translation:
Upon you be God’s blessing, and then His peace too
O Messenger of God, I am so enamored with you
I shed tears from witnessing the sorrow that they
Brought up from a heart in longing, enthralled
But there is not, for this infatuation an explanation
Without seeing its beloved and greeting him
The beloved said to me, don’t fear after this
Any veil or exile, for my covenant is fulfilled
Whenever you want closeness with me, then call on me
O Messenger of God, I am enamored with you
I will answer you from a distance while I am seated with
Whomever is lovingly busy with my remembrance, describing me
I swear that a heart that loves you
For it the torment of the fire is absolutely forbidden
So what of one who waits on you at each hour?
Such a one is certainly in paradise delighting
Greetings of peace be upon you and this greeting grants me
The perfection of witnessing Beauty, inspiring
My tongue with salutations worthy of your rank
Repeating them, saluting you, murmuring
Greetings of peace be upon the head of the Messenger, Muhammad
A majestic head with Majesty turbaned
Greetings of peace be upon the face of Muhammad
O what a wondrous face in brightness veiled!
Greetings of peace be upon the eyes of the prophet Muhammad
Eyes of the deepest black with black lined
Greetings of peace be upon the nose of the prophet Muhammad
A nose straight and bright and aquiline
Greetings of peace be upon the cheeks of the Beloved, Muhammad
Cheeks luminous, soft, and fragrant
Greetings of peace be upon the mouth of the Prophet Muhammad
A mouth in which precious pearls are arrayed
For other than God’s speech and remembrance and the call
to the presence of his Master, he would not speak
Greetings of peace be upon the neck of the prophet Muhammad
A neck flashing bright and shapely
Greetings of peace be upon the chest of the beloved Muhammad
A chest wide, with knowledge brimming
Greetings of peace be upon the heart of the beloved Muhammad
A heart in the Light of God perpetually abiding
It witnesses the Lord of the Throne at every instant
For if the eyes rest, it does not, so know this!
Greetings of peace be upon the palm of the prophet Muhammad
A wide-open palm, how generous and ennobling
By which how many a poor man became after his poverty
Rich, and how many a tyrant by it was harmed
Greetings of peace be upon the feet of the Beloved, Muhammad
that trampled the veils of glory that were offered
By which he stood in the Mihrab for God devoutly
In intimate converse with the Lord of the Throne, while people slept
His persistence continued every night
Until they colored and swelled
Greetings of peace be upon the essence/body (dhāt) of the prophet Muhammad
For in its loveliness, all Beauty is completed
Greetings of peace be upon all of the prophet Muhammad
A magnificent prophet, by the Majestic, magnified
A Prophet [who is] from His Exalted Master, a solicitude
Which appears as creation in the gathering is dumbfounded
Raising the banner of praise as a standard
While the prophets and messengers crowd beneath it
In him, each wayward one in the resurrection is seeking refuge
And each lover is triumphant and spoken to
By him, Majdhūb hopes to be delivered with his companions
Without trial, O intercessor, safe and sound.
Upon you be the blessings of God and then His peace too
Including all [his] family, and here we conclude.
Original:
عليك صلاة الله ثم سلامه ألا يا رسول الله إنى مغرم
صَبَبتُ دُمُوعاً يَشهَدُ الحُزنُ أَنَّها أَتَت مِن فُؤَادٍ بالغَرَامِ مُتَيَّمُ
وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن ذَا التَّتَيُّمِ مُشرِحٌ سِوَى أن يَرَى مَعشُوقَهُ فَيُسَلِّمُ
يَقُولُ لِى المَعشُوقُ لاَ تَخشَ بَعدَ ذَا حِجاباً وَلاَ طَرداً فَعَهدِى مُتَمَّمُ
مَتَى ما أردَتَ القُربَ مِنّىِ فَنادِنِى أَلاَ يا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّىَ مُغرَمُ
أُجُيبُكَ مِن بُعدٍ وَإِنِّى جَلِيسُ مَن بِحُبِّىَ مَشغولٌ بِذِكرى مُتَرجِمُ
حَلَفتُ يَمِيناً إِنَّ قَلباً يُحِبُّكُم عَلَيهِ عَذابُ النَّارِ قَطعاً مُحرَّمُ
فَكَيفَ بمَن قَد شامَكُم كُلَّ ساعَةٍ فَهذَا يَقِيناً في الجِنانِ يُنَعَّمُ
سَلاَمٌ عَلَيكُم وَالسَّلاَمُ يُنِيلُنِى كَمالَ شُهُودِ لِلجَمالِ وَيُلهِمُ
لِسانِى تَحِيَّاتٍ تَلِيقُ بِقَدرِكُم أُكُرِّرُها في حَيَّكُم وَأُهمهِم
سَلاَمٌ علَى رَأسِ الرَّسُولِ مُحَمَّدٍ لَرَأسٌ جَلِيلٌ بالجَلاَلِ مُعَمَّمُ
سَلاَمٌ علَى وَجهِ النَّبِىِّ مُحَمَّدٍ فَيا نِعمَ وَجهٌ بالضِّياءِ مُلَثَّمُ
سَلاَمٌ عَلى طَرفِ النَّبِىِّ مُحَمَّدٍ لَطَرفٌ كَحِيلٌ أَدعجٌ وَمُعَلَّمُ
سَلاَمٌ عَلى أنفِ النَّبِىِّ مُحَمَّدٍ لأَنفٌ عَدِيلٌ أنوَرٌ وَمُقَوَّمُ
سَلامٌ علَى خَدّ الحَبيبِ مُحَمَّدٍ لَخَدٌ مُنِيرٌ أسهَلٌ وَمُشَمَّمُ
سَلاَمٌ علَى فَمِّ النَّبِىِّ مُحَمَّدٍ لَفَمٌّ بِهِ دُرٌّ نَفِيسٌ مُنَظَّمُ
بِغَيرِ كَلاَمِ اللهِ وَالذِّكرِ وَالنّدَا لِحَضرَةِ مَولاَهُ فَلاَ يَتَكَلمُ
سَلامٌ علي عُنق النَّبِىِّ مُحَمَّدٍ لَعُنقٌ سَطِيعٌ نَيِّرٌ وَمُبَرَّمُ
سَلاَمٌ على صَدرِ الحَبِيبِ مُحَمَّدٍ لَصَدرٌ وَسِيعٌ بالعُلُومِ مُطَمطَمُ
سَلاَمٌ على قَلبِ الحَبيبِ مُحَمَّدٍ لَقلبٌ بِنُورِ اللهِ دَوماً مُقَيَّمُ
يُشَاهِدُ رَبَّ العَرشِ في كُلِّ لَحظَةٍ فإن نامَتِ العَينانِ ما نامَ فاعلَمُوا
سَلاَمٌ على كَفِّ النبي مُحَمَّدٍ لَكَفٌ رَحيبٌ كَم يَجُودُ وَيُكرِمُ
بهِ كَم فَقِيرٍ صَارَ مِن بَعدِ فَقرِهِ غَنِيًّا وَكَم طاغٍ بهِ مُتَضَيِّمُ
سَلاَمٌ على قَدَمٍِ الحَبيبِ مُحَمَّدٍ بهِ دَاسَ حُجبَ العِزِّ ذَاكَ المُقَدِّمُ
بهِ قامَ في المِحرَابِ لِلهِ قانِتاً يُناجى لِرَبِّ العَرشِ وَالنَّاسُ نُوَّمُ
فَما زَالَ هذَا دَأبُهُ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ إِلى أَن بهِ بانَ الوَنا وَالتَّوَرُّمُ
سَلاَمٌ على ذَاتِ النبي مُحَمَّدٍ فَيا حُسنَها فِيها الجَمالُ مُتَمَّمُ
سَلاَمٌ عَلى كُلِّ النبي مُحَمَّدٍ نبي عَظِيمٌ بالجَلالِ مُعَظَّمُ
نَبِىٌ لِمَولاَهُ العَلِّى عِنايَةٌ بِهِ تَبدُو إِذ ما الخَلقُ في الحَشرِ يُفحَمُ
عَلَيهِ لِوَاءُ الحَمدِ يُنصَبُ رِفعَةً وَمِن تَحتِهِ الانباءُ وَالرُّسلُ يُزحَمُ
بِهِ كُلُّ عاص في القِيامةِ لاَئِذٌ وَكُلُّ مُحِبٍّ فائِزٌ وَمُكلَّمُ
بِهِ يَرتَجِى المَجذُوبُ يَنجُو بِصَحبهِ بِغَيرِ امتِحانٍ يا شَفِيعُ وَيَسلَمُ
عليك صلاة الله ثم سلامه يَعُمَّانِ كلَّ الآلِ ها نحن نختمُ
This is beautiful. Do you know which tariqah it is? Also is the translation yours?
Yes, translation is mine. Muḥammad al-Majdhūb b. Qamar al-dīn was a student of the great Moroccan shaykh Aḥmad ibn Idrīs, and he also received an ijāza in Sufism from the Khorasani shayhkh Ibrāhīm al-Suwaydī, but al-Majdhūb didn’t really belong to a tariqa or start one of his own (like some of ibn Idrīs’ other disciples). al-Majdhūb’s master was the Prophet Muḥammad, with whom he had frequent visionary encounters. He attracted a number of students and disciples in Medina and Sudan, but never founded a distinct tariqa.